The Ministry of Local Government, Chieftainship, Home Affairs and Police through the Department Livestock and Registration Marking is currently holding a series of public gatherings within the Urban Council.

The initiative which started last week is expected to continue until all villages within the Urban council through its six Electoral Divisions are covered, extending to other Resource Centers.

The District Manager of National Livestock Registration Marking and Information System Ms. Nthoto Mosueunyane said the initiative is aimed at encouraging farmers to register their livestock and mark them to control stock theft locally and internationally.

She highlighted that they are mandated to mark livestock all year round within different places as famers are rearing new animals after those which were marked before, saying introducing tattooing and hot branding of livestock is an important move in stock theft fighting.

She stated that the process is already making it easier for the police, crime prevention Committees and livestock owners to identify and locate the stolen livestock without hindrance like being the case before whereby different farmers were sharing the same mark.

Ms. Moesunyane said the process has been introduced by the government of Lesotho through the involved ministry to fight the rampant stock theft countrywide whereby the majority of Basotho has found their stolen livestock through this system.

She however indicated that they still have challenges in areas like Matelile and Semonkong including other Resource Centre of which do not have electricity and as result they also don't have generators to supplement the electricity.

The District Manager of National Livestock Registration Marking and Information System indicated even today there are still areas of which their livestock have not been marked due to the above-mentioned challenge, saying the government is working tirelessly to include them in protecting their livestock. The initiative which was launched in 2007 by the government of Lesotho is aimed at easing identification of stolen livestock.